Web Design Blog

Google
is a globe-encircling titan of the internet, so it’s interesting that the
world’s homepage is putting a lot of focus on making its services more
localised. This should be good news for small businesses who want to use pay
per click (PPC) advertising effectively.

Google
announced in November that its city-level targeting for AdWords would be rolled
out to nine new countries, meaning that advertisers in 43 countries can now
target their ads to specific cities.

The
buzzword for this is Geo-targeting, which is something small businesses have
been doing naturally and with no need for new terminology for centuries.

If
you’re offering a product or service that can only be delivered in one or two
locations then geo-targeting is essential if you’re not to waste money online.
A Edinburgh window cleaner who cycles on his rounds doesn’t want to pop up when
a man with dirty windows in Eastbourne goes online looking for a wash and wipe.

But as
well as putting necessary limits on your marketing, localised PPC can help to
expand your business.

By
targeting your PPC at new areas and customising your AdWords content – bear in
mind languages and currencies – you can even find customers who don’t even
speak the same language as you.

Setting
up a new website for each new territory is expensive and fraught with problems.
This sort of targeted PPC however, can give the illusion of international reach
– and crucially, local sensitivity – without that hassle. Simply translating
ads into different languages for different users, which with this level of
targeting you can now do, will at the very least reduce waste spend showing
incomprehensible ads.

If
you’re thinking of growing into a new territory then this city-level targeting
provides a great way to test the waters without ending up with just a few
orders which are costly to deliver and may not lead to a sustainable expansion.

This is
particularly the case if it’s a whole new country you’ve got your eyes on. Pick
a couple of test markets to gauge the interest in your product without wasting
paid clicks.

The
green campaigners used to ask us to ‘think global and act local’ but as it has
so many times before, Google has turned this maxim on its head.

Toolkit Websites are bespoke web designers in Southampton, Hampshire, UK. Get in touch today and see how we can help your business grow.